Earth surfacing machine



Jan. 3, 1961 G. ULSH 66,948

EARTH SURFACING MACHINE Filed Sept. 8, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR GEORGE ULSH I BY I, ATTORNEY Jan. 3, 1961 G. ULSH 2,966,948

EARTH SURFACING MACHINE 7 Filed Sept. 8, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR GEORGE U LSH ATTORNEY 2 ,966,948 EARTH SURFACING MACHINE George Ulsh, 7343 Windsor Mill Road, Baltimore, Md. Filed Sept. 8, 1959, Ser. No. 838,809 3 Claims. (Cl. 17272) The present invention relates to an earth working machine and in particular to a machine for leveling and conditioning the surface of the ground over which it is passed for planting grass seed. This machine is especially designed for final preparation of large areas after they have been graded and leveled roughly with heavy equipment such as bulldozers and similar equipment. Heretofore, this finishing operation has mainly been done by hand labor, which is slow and arduous. The principal object of the machine is to provide a machine that takes over the greater portion of this hand operation after the surface has been graded and leveled by heavier equipment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a level and uniform seed bed.

A further object of the invention is that in leveling 01f the uneven surface the earth taken from the high spots are redeposited in the lower spots on the surface.

Still another object of the invention is to provide novel means for adjusting the machine relative to the surface of the ground.

While several objects of the invention have been pointed out, other objects including its uses and advantages will become more apparent as the nature of the invention is more fully disclosed, as shown in the accompanying illustrations and detailed description that follows:

Fig. I is a perspective view of the machine showing the manner in which it is attached to a motor vehicle and of certain specific structures of the machine.

Fig. II is an end view in elevation of the machine.

Fig. III is a fragmentary plan view of the machine and its relative position to the motor vehicle from which it is operated.

Fig. IV is an enlarged perspective view of one 'end of one of the elements of the machine showing one way in which the element may be adjusted.

In referring to the apparatus like numerals are used to designate like and similar parts throughout the several views.

The apparatus or machine A is adapted to be supported and operated by a conventional tractor or motor vehicle 10. The machine is provided with a frame having a front member 11, forward side member 12, and 14, a central portion member 18, including an upper central member 19 and rear side members 20 and 21. The side members 20 and 21 extend rearwardly from each end of the central portion of the frame member 18. The upper central member 19 is of broad U-shape from the outer ends of the U extending downwardly over the ends of the drum to the rear end members 20 and 21. The front end of the frame is pivotably connected to the motor vehicle frame by a pin or bolt 22. The central portion 18 of the frame is connected to a pair of arms 24 and 26 carried on the motor vehicle and are generally part of the tractor, or motor vehicle equipment. These arms 24 and 26 are either independently or jointly operated by hydraulic cylinders and are each connected to one end of the link members 28 and 30 by suitable pins 31 and 32 and the other end of the link members being hingedly connected to the frame member 18 by pins such as illustrated at 33 in Figure 11. The arms 24 and 26 are raised and lowered by pistons operated within the cylinders 35 and 36. The piston being operated by a suitable fluid under pressure and supplied to the cylinders by thepipes 37 and 37'.

nited States Patent '2 Extendin downwardly from the veaieieisre gar ener-n 'be'rs 23 and 23. These guide members are forfkeejping "the machine in alignment with the vehicle and are'fso over which the tractor or machine pass, or the wheels 'm'aydrdp into small 'd'epr'essionsas the machine is being carried along without influencing the horiiontal pesition of'the drum. The horizontal position of the drum being always regulatedby' the pistons 72 and 73 and the packer roll '64.

I Located between the rear side frame members. 2 0 and 2 1 is a rotatable hollow perforated steel drum 3%. The drum is provided with a spiral blade '40 secured about its outer surface from one to two inches high which extends the full length of the drum. The drum is also provided with end member '41, having openings at 42 for dumping the drum. The ends of the drum. support an axle as shown at 43 and 44 which is eithersecured tothe ends of the drum or extend entirely through the drum for rotatably 'su'pporting the drum on the frame. The axles iiiand 44 extend'beyond the end of the frame and "into a hearing within the housings 45 and 50 provided on each side frame member 20 and 21. The outer ends of the shafts 43 and 44 are provided with a gear (not shown) which in turn is connected with a gear carried by a vertical shaft 46 which are in turn geared to the 'out'erends of horizontal shafts 47 and 48. The outer ends of the shafts 4-7 and '48 and the upper ends of the shafts 46 and 46 are provided with bevelled gears (not shown) carried within the housings '49 and 51. The inner end of the shafts 4-7 and 48 are in turn connected to a suitable motor 61 for rotating the drum.

Extending rearwardly and parallel'with the horizontal axis of the drum 3% is a stationary blade 52, which is slightly curved in the direction of its width to follow the general curvature 'of the outer "surface of the drum 38. This blade 52- is spaced rearwardly of the drum a short distance, as indicated by the numeral 53-. The blade is made adjustable relative to the surface of the ground, axis of the drum and to-the angle relationship to the outer surface of the drum. The blade may be supported from any convenient place on the frame, however the position illustrated is believed to be quite efficient and practical. Adjacent the sides of the rear frame members 21} and 21 there is provided vertical plates 54- and 55 carried by the rear side frame members 20 and 21 and the U-sh'a-ped portion 19 of the frame. Adjustably secured to this'plate is supporting member 56 which extends rearwardly and is fastened to the blade 52. The inner end of the support 56 is secured to the plate 54 by bolts '57 and 58. The belt 58 may be changed to adjust the position of the blade 52. At the opposite end of the machine the blade is identically supported.

Referring again to the drum 38' it is provided with smallevenly spaced openings or perforations 60 extending throughout the entire surface of the drum. Inaddition to the opening 6%, there is provided a series 'oflarger openings 62, but fewer in number for admitting soil to the inside of the drum where it is 'evenly sifted out of the drum through the small openings 60. These large openings are for picking up soil which accumulates between the drum and the blade 52; as "shown at 63 in Fig. II.

'the conventional type and is not shown.

- excess earth to be carried by the machine.

frame carrying the drum by way of the members 68 and 70. The packing roller is supported preferably upon an axle 65, the ends of which are adapted to be journaled in suitable bearings 66 carried on each of the members 68 and 70. The members 68 and 70 are hingedly and adjustably connected to the plates 54 and 55 by bolts, such as shown at 71 in Figure I. Pivotedly secured to the upper portion 19 of the frame at 19 and 19" are fluid cylinders 72 and 73 for individually positioning the of the drum 38. Connected with the pistons is one end of each of the piston rods 74 and 75, the other ends of the piston rods being connected adjacent the end bearing carried on the members 68 and 70 of the roller 64. Fluid is injected and discharged through the tubes 84), 81, 82 and 83 for operating the pistons and are controlled by the levers 84 and 85 positioned adjacent the drivers seat of the motor vehicle. The fluid pressure mechanism is of Each of the cylinders 72 and 73 are individually controlled, and as such, the ends of the drum may be adjusted vertically up or down relative to the ground being conditioned. The

packing roller 64 is of similar construction as that of the drum in that it is provided with a plurality of apertures 86 which are preferably arranged in rows or in 7 is done by the arms 24 and 26, the lever 86 controlling the flow of fiuid to the cylinders 35 and 36.

It will be noted that the drum 33 is shown as being operated by a separate motor 61, however, the drum may be operated from a power take-01f from the tractor or motor vehicle if desired. When moving from one location to the other the apparatus is entirely suspended and out of contact with the ground.

In operation the machine is first moved to the desired location and being ready for operation the first thing, is to start the motor 61 rotating the drum in the direction of the arrow as shown in Figure 2. The apparatus is then lowered until the spiral cutter is in position to cut off a portion of the upper surface of the ground. The earth that is cut from the surface is in small particles, some are piled up against the plate 52 as shown at 63, some is pushed beyond the end of the drum by the spiral cutting member which moves the soil toward the end of the drum as indicated by the arrow in Figure I and some is picked up by the drum through the large openings 62 and deposited within the drum as shown at 67 in Fig. II. The earth cut from the surface of the ground is quite fine, and being that the lower edge of the sta tionary blade 52, is positioned slightly above the plane of the lower cutting edge of the spiral cutter, a layer of finely chopped soil is left behind the drum over the surface of the ground and the depth of the finely chopped earth is regulated by the heights of the blade 52 from the ground. The earth particles that are moved beyond the end of the drum by the spiral cutting blade 40 are windrowed beyond the end of the drum in a hill or ridge of loose earth which may vary from approximately 2 to 6 inches in heighth depending upon the bite of the blade and how much of the earth particles are taken through the drum and how much is distributed by the stationary blade 52. The ridge or windrow is overlapped on the successive runs of the machine by the drum furnishes This excess material is carried along the drum in the same manpacking roller relative to the horizontal axis and surface a ner as the particles being taken from the surface over which the machine is passing. This soft surface is rolled down by the packing roller 64 which leaves small mounds 87 caused by the aperture 86 in the packing roll. After the machine has passed over the surface it is now ready to seed. a

As previously stated, as the drum 33 is rotated it picks up a certain amount of surplus soil through the large openings 62 until the drum acquires a substantial amount on the inside of the drum. As the machine is operated over the ground the small particles of the soil is dropped through the opening 60 into any low spots occurring in the terrain and to be smoothed out by the blade 52, with the result that over the terrain that is not too even the machine will even up the surface and put it in condition for seeding.

The depth of the cut of the cutting blade is regulated by the position of the roll 64. Its height being controlled by the fluid operated piston means at each end of the packing roller.

The speed of the drum is somewhat faster than the speed of the vehicle in order that the spiral blade will have a shaving action over the surface of the ground.

While the invention has been allowed and described for a particular type apparatus; it is not intended as a limitation and the scope of the invention is best defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An earth leveling and conditioning machine adapted to be attached to a motor vehicle comprising an elongated hollow perforated rotatable drum having an attached spiral cutting blade encircling the drum and rotatably therewith, said blade projecting outwardly from the outer surface of the drum for cutting a predetermined depth into the earths surfaces, a frame for supporting the drum in a substantially horizontal position, means for rotating said drum, an elongated stationary blade fixed to the frame supporting the drum and spaced a short distance from the drum surface and in rear thereof, the lower edge of the blade extending downwardly below a horizontal plane passing through the lowest line of the drum surface and above a horizontal plane passing through the lowest line of the rotatable spiral cutter blade, an elongated horizontal packing roll rotatably mounted rearwardly of the stationary blade, means for hingedly supporting the ends of the packing roll to the frame supporting the drum, means for separately adjusting each end of the packing roll relatively to the elongated axes of the drum, for gauging the depth of said spiral cutting blade carried on the drum, and means for supporting the machine on the motor vehicle.

2. In a machine as claimed in claim 1 in which the perforated drum is provided with a plurality of individual openings of greater size than the perforations, the individual openings extending the full length of the drum for picking up earth accumulated between the drum and the stationary blade and depositing the same within the hollow .lrum for distribution through the perforations on the surface over which the machine passes.

3. In a machine as claimed in claim 1 in which the stationary blade is adjustable relative to the surface and horizontal axis of the drum.

References (Jilted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 210,150 Rynerson Nov. 19, 1878 284,709 Bane Sept. 11, 1883 753,953 Cameron Mar. 8, 1904 1,450,318 Eich Apr. 3, 1923 1,744 272 Plant et al. .lan. 21, 1930 1,828,681 Reinking Oct. 20., 1931 2,029,659 Greiner Feb. 4, 1936 2,127,485 Owens et al Aug. 16, 1938 2,582,199 Gardner et al. Jan. 8, 1952 

